The Metropolitan Washington Summer Restaurant Week returns next week, and more than a dozen restaurants in the Tysons area are participating in the event.

The event lets people buy lunch, brunch and dinner from restaurants at fixed prices. Some of the restaurants will cocktails or wine pairings for dine-in customers and special discounts.

New this year, Summer Restaurant Week is offering family-style to-go dinners (RW To Go) for either $35 per person or $55 per person.

Here are the local participating restaurants and what they are offering:

Tysons

• Ruth’s Chris Steak House: dinner
• Chima Steakhouse: dinner
• Coastal Flats: lunch and dinner
• Founding Farmers: lunch and dinner, RW To Go
• American Prime: lunch and dinner, RW To Go
• Agora Tysons: dinner, RW To Go
• Randy’s Prime Seafood and Steaks: lunch and dinner
• Lebanese Taverna: lunch and dinner, RW To Go
• Wildfire: lunch and dinner, RW To Go

Vienna

• Blend 111: brunch, lunch and dinner
• Caboose Brewing Company: lunch and dinner, RW To Go
• Maple Ave Restaurant: brunch and dinner, RW To Go

Falls Church and Merrifield:

• TRIO Grill: dinner
• Alta Strada: dinner, RW To Go
• 2941 Restaurant: dinner

McLean

• J. Gilbert’s Wood-Fired Steaks and Seafood: lunch and dinner

Summer Restaurant Week will run from Aug. 17-30.

The Food for Others 5k and Fun Run in Tysons in September won’t resemble the race in previous years.

Instead of happening in-person on a set date, the event will now take place virtually during a weekend in late September. Just like the previous races, the registration fee will benefit food-insecure people in Fairfax County.

Located in the Merrifield area, Food for Others notes on its website that more than 70,000 people in Fairfax County live in poverty. The organization distributes food to more than 2,600 families weekly.

“Between March and July, Food for Others has served food to a total of 72,223 households, a 35 percent increase over the number of families we served between March and July of 2019,” the organization recently announced.

Participants will have the weekend of Sept. 25-Sept. 27 to complete the distance and can complete the 5k on a trail, treadmill or anywhere they can walk.

The cost to join the event is $30 per person, which will go toward giving rice and beans to 25 families. People who register before Sept. 10 can get a race t-shirt mailed to them. The race is also accepting sponsorships.

The event description asks that participants record their time and share photos on social media using #Foodforothers5K.

Some of the prizes will include awards for people with the best race costume, most creative route and best pet photo. The full list of prizes will be announced by Sept. 10 so that participants can prepare.

Photo by Bruno Nascimento/Unsplash

LEON, a natural-based fast food restaurant, is finally arriving in the Mosaic District. The restaurant plans to open its doors on Thursday, Aug 6.

Originally, the restaurant was aiming to open in the winter at 2905 District Avenue, Suite 160. It’s unclear what caused the delay.  

To celebrate their opening, LEON is holding a giveaway contest, according to a post on their Facebook page. The winner will receive free LEON through the end of the year. To enter, participants must download the app and create an account. 

The restaurant aims to provide a natural take on fast food, offering many options to accommodate people with dietary restrictions, including vegetarians, pescatarians and vegans. Their goal is to “make it easier for everyone to live and eat well,” according to their website. 

The online menu includes breakfast items like shakshuka and avocado toast, along with all-day dishes ranging from salads to the “LOVe burger” made with a beetroot-soy patty.

LEON was founded in 2004 and has more than 60 locations across the world, including Norway, the U.K. and the Netherlands. 

Photo via LEON/Facebook

Kiln & Custard served up a sweet surprise for National Ice Cream Day.

On Sunday (July 19), the woman-owned custard and ice cream chain rolled out two monthly subscription options. The Kiln & Custard locations are inside the Kiln & Co. pottery stores in Vienna, Falls Church and Reston.

Customers can get either four pints of frozen custard with toppings and cones delivered one or two per month. The custard comes in the business’s signature glass jars, according to its website.

The custard does not contain any artificial coloring or flavorings, according to the website.

People with a sweet tooth interested in the subscriptions can contact Kiln & Custard at 703-255-7155 and [email protected].

Kiln & Custard also recently extended the hours for the Vienna and Falls Church locations. Now, they are open from noon-7 p.m. in Vienna and from 1-8 p.m. in Falls Church Wednesday-Saturday. The website says that the Reston location is closed for the season.

Updated 7/28/2020 — The Boro said today that Santouka Ramen plans to open in early August — not at the end of July.

FRESHFARM Farmers Markets, two new eateries and City National Bank plan to open soon at The Boro.

The press team for the Tysons development announced the upcoming openings today, saying that the bank, Tasty Kabob will be open by the end of July, followed by Santouka Ramen in early August.

The farmers market will run from July 30-Nov. 19 and will be open from 3-7 p.m. on Thursdays in Boro Place. FRESHFARM currently has nearby markets in the Mosaic District and Reston.

The Boro also shared more details about its pedestrian-only street initiative, saying that the area in Boro Place will be open on Thursdays and Fridays from 5:30-8:30 p.m. until the end of August. People can expect live entertainment.

Here’s the line-up:

• Thursday, July 23: Jonny Grave
• Friday, July 24: Jeffrey Herbert
• Thursday, July 30: Moose Jaw Bluegrass
• Friday, July 31: David Thong
• Thursday, Aug. 6: Shane Gamble

In the last few weeks, Colour Bar Studio, Poki DC and Tysons Nail Lounge opened in The Boro.

People can find an updated list of businesses’ opening status at The Boro’s website.

Photo via Santouka Tysons Corner/Facebook

Doughnuttery plans to hold a grand opening in Tysons in early August.

The doughnut eatery shared on Facebook that the grand opening is set for Saturday, Aug. 8, at Tysons Corner Center. Doughnuttery will occupy a kiosk on the first level by H&M, according to the mall’s website.

Started in 2012, the chain specializes in mini doughnuts. The online menu features nearly four dozen flavors, including apple cider, lemon pop, green tea, fruit cereal and chai.

Currently, Doughnuttery has locations in New York and Arizona.

Photo via Doughnuttery of NoVa/Facebook

Wednesday (July 22) is National Hot Dog Day, and the Vienna Inn is ready.

Known for its hot dogs, the Vienna eatery (120 Maple Avenue E.) will offer $1.99 hot dogs and turn them into chili dogs for an additional $0.20, according to a press release.

Diners can choose from contact-free curbside pick-up, limited indoor seating and outdoor seating under a tent in the parking lot.

“Our younger customers like them plain or with just ketchup, but the majority come in for the famous Chili Cheese Dog complete with cheese, chili, mustard, and onion otherwise known as ‘loaded,'” owner Marty Volk said in the press release.

The Vienna Inn was selling more than 10,000 hot dogs a month before the pandemic hit, but then pivoted to offering kits for people to make their own chili dogs, the press release said.

“They have been very popular with our regulars and include everything you need to create your own Chili Dog at home,” Volk said.

Photo via Vienna Inn/Twitter

Teriyaki Way is now serving diners in Tysons Corner Center.

The mall posted on Facebook on Friday, July 17, about the opening.

The Japanese grill serves up a variety of teriyaki dishes, bento and ramen, along with side dishes like spring rolls and dumplings, according to its online menu. People can order pick-up and delivery from the eatery, according to its website.

Diners can find Teriyaki Way on the first level in the food court.

Photo via Tysons Corner Center/Facebook

Before the pandemic hit Northern Virginia, an international ramen restaurant was aiming to open in March in The Boro.

In March, Hokkaido Ramen Santouka pushed its expected opening to April. Now, the restaurant is looking to open in August with limited indoor and outdoor seating, according to a press release. The restaurant will also offer pickup and delivery services.

Jennie Kuperstein, a spokesperson for the restaurant, said that the pandemic delayed the opening at 1636 Boro Place.

The Hokkaido-style ramen chain started in Japan in 1983 and now has more than 60 restaurants in 10 countries, including 16 locations in the U.S., according to the press release.

Food’s Style USA, which has launched four Santouka’s restaurants in the Boston and Seattle areas, will open the Tysons restaurant, according to the press release.

Food’s Style USA’s CEO Jun Yoneda said in a statement that tables will be frequently disinfected, employees will undergo regular health screenings and sanitation training and the restaurant will follow state and CDC guidelines.

The restaurant’s menu includes tonkotsu soup, shio ramen, Japanese karaage-style fried chicken, fried rice and gyoza, the press release said.

“To make our signature tonkotsu broth, we simmer pork bones for about 20 hours over the low heat until it becomes pearly white and then add the vegetables, dried fish, kelp and other savory ingredients to it,” according to the restaurant’s Facebook page.

Once open, the Tysons restaurant’s hours will be 11 a.m.-9 p.m. daily.

Photo courtesy Santouka 

(Updated 1:10 p.m.) Real Food For Kids has paired up with Pizzeria Paradiso to support Vienna families in need as a result of COVID-19.

Pizzeria Paradiso will send pizza kits to anyone who donates a minimum of $50. According to the fundraiser’s website, each pizza kit will include enough ingredients to make one Margherita pizza and one signature Pizzeria Paradiso pizza, the Bosco Pizza. The kits are coming from the restaurant’s Georgetown location. 

People who don’t want a pizza kit can make a direct donation.

The fundraiser is part of a new initiative called “Chefs Feeding Families,” which uses the donations for its meal distributions for families in need. Started by Real Food for Kids and chef David Guas, the initiative kicked off in March and has 17 different meal sites.

Pizzeria Paradiso is “currently providing over 1,000 hot meals per week to Vienna families” and has made more than 10,000 free pizzas for Fairfax County since April, according to the fundraiser’s website. 

Corrects name of the pizza restaurant

Photo via Pizza Paradiso/Facebook